Short film - featuring moonwalking hedgehogs and bathing owls - is a reminder to think of wildlife this Christmas, says the Trust.

Suffolk Wildlife Trust has produced an alternative ‘Christmas advert’.

The short video, which features film shot on trail cameras in the back gardens of Ipswich over the past year and a half, encourages people to think of wildlife during the winter months.

Following the high-profile campaigns of supermarkets and major brands, it is also a gentle reminder that thoughtful gifts do not need to cost the earth, both in terms of damage to the bank balance or the planet through use of the earth’s resources.

The Trust’s hedgehog officer, Ali North, said she hoped the advert would encourage more people to join Suffolk Wildlife Trust or gift membership to loved ones.

She said: “Suffolk Wildlife Trust is Suffolk’s nature charity – the only organisation dedicated to safeguarding the county’s wildlife and wild spaces.

“We make a difference for Suffolk by managing nature reserves - securing a bigger, better and more connected landscape for wildlife and by inspiring the next generation through hands-on experiences with nature.

A badger captured on a trail camera that appears in the Suffolk Wildlife Trust's Christmas video.

“By supporting the Trust, whether it is becoming a member yourself or giving a membership as a gift to friends and family, you are helping us continue to safeguard the natural world which we are all part of.

She added: “We hope people enjoy the advert and that it also reminds them that nature surrounds us, whether you live in a town or the countryside.”

All of the film included in the Christmas advert was shot on trail cameras placed in gardens around Ipswich. The footage was taken throughout 2017 and 2018 as part of the Trust’s campaign – led by Ali North – to make Ipswich the most hedgehog-friendly town in the UK.